


The cabin

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: Caring, First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-16 01:08:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3468773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs' cabin holds magical qualities. So do Tony's fingers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tony closed his eyes and let himself float in the cold water, the sun shining down on him making the lake sparkle and glitter in the sunlight, the sound of the water a gentle murmur in his ears while they were submerged under the surface as he drifted around, unmoving and relaxed. He’d been swimming for over half an hour, and now he was tired and just letting himself float before he would swim back to the shore and get out to let himself dry and warm up in the sunlight. He felt relaxed and at peace, more so than he had in a long time, and it had everything to do with where he was and who was waiting for him at the shore. That thought made him raise his head out of the water and look at the shore, at the man sitting there on the little jetty, and he turned onto his stomach in the water and swam back to him with sure, strong strokes.  
   
Gibbs sat on the jetty, watching Tony swim and float, enjoying the sight of the strong body cutting through the water and the sunlight making his limbs sparkle every time a wet arm or leg was raised above the surface. He felt calm and loose, and even the pain in his leg was just a dull background throb now. The sun was warm on his back, and he had taken off his t-shirt and sat there barechested, in just his shorts and the hated brace on his leg, encasing his knee, just watching Tony and letting his thoughts drift. When he saw Tony start swimming back to shore, he reached for one of the towels they had brought with them, and laid it out on the jetty next to him.  
   
Tony climbed out of the water and dropped down on the towel next to Gibbs, lying on his back and stretching his limbs, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Gibbs leaned back, and they rested together in complete silence for a while, just breathing and letting the warmth of the sun seep further into their bones. The air was warm and pleasant, and Tony dried quickly, while Gibbs watched the droplets that shimmered like tiny diamonds on Tony’s chest and legs slowly disappear as they were evaporated by the sun. Tony was almost dry when he opened his eyes and finally broke the silence.  
   
“How’s the leg?”  
   
“Better.”  
   
“Not hurting as much?”  
   
“No. Thanks.”  
   
They had been at the cabin for two days now, the team having been taken off rotation for two whole weeks and Gibbs placed on medical leave by Ducky after his knee had given out during a chase in the field, and the team had taken the opportunity to put in for some well deserved vacation time. McGee and Bishop were both off visiting their families, and without a word, Tony had taken Gibbs home, packed Gibbs a bag, driven them over to Tony’s apartment and packed a bag for himself as well, then made their way to Gibbs’ cabin, away from the basement and stairs Gibbs shouldn't try to navigate with the brace, stopping off for groceries and other supplies along the way. Gibbs had been reluctant, not wanting Tony to give up his own vacation time to care for him, but when he’d grunted something about that, Tony had just smiled at him and ignored the grumbled protest.  
   
Arriving at the cabin, Tony took their things inside while Gibbs carefully made his way to the door, the brace helping but not stopping his knee from protesting with every step he took. Tony knew it must be hurting like hell, because his usually stoic boss actually winced with every step. Once inside, Tony was grateful to note that the once so sparsely furnished cabin now held a couch and a couple of lazy chairs, and he quickly retrieved the inflatable double mattress he’d brought to sleep on, more comfortable than the single cot that Gibbs kept there. Gibbs settled in one of the chairs and Tony grabbed them both a beer, and they sipped in companionable silence while Tony inflated the mattress and covered it in the sheets and pillows he’d brought. When Gibbs tried to get up to get them both another beer, he actually grunted from the pain in his knee, and Tony pushed him back down, getting the beers himself, and sat down in front of Gibbs, facing him.  
   
“Will you let me help you with that?”  
   
Tony pointed his beer at Gibbs’ leg while he asked the question.  
   
“What way?”  
   
“Your muscles are cramped up because you’re trying to walk differently to avoid putting strain on your knee. I can give you a massage to relax your leg, that will help with the pain.”  
   
“A massage?”  
   
“I’m good with my hands, Gibbs.”  
   
Tony smirked, wriggling his fingers at Gibbs, and Gibbs couldn’t help a quirk of his lips in amusement. Gibbs knew Tony was right about the cramping muscles, but didn’t feel comfortable asking the younger man to do this, and it showed in his eyes. Tony huffed in exasperation when he caught the look, and replied to Gibbs’ unspoken words.  
   
“Don’t be ridiculous. I offered. You know it will make you feel better. Now get your pants off.”  
   
Tony accompanied his order with a wink, and Gibbs’ mouth quirked again. Tony got up to get some supplies, and Gibbs dropped his pants.  
   
“Where do you want me?”  
   
Tony barked out a short laugh at Gibbs’ question and his eyes twinkled. Gibbs could see the different replies flitting through Tony’s mind, but in the end, the younger man held his tongue and just pointed to the inflated mattress. Tony spread out a large towel and Gibbs settled on it on his back, closing his eyes when he felt Tony loosen the brace and remove it. Tony picked up the massage oil and drizzled some onto his hand, then started rubbing it onto Gibbs’ leg, just stroking the skin at first before starting to dig into the muscle. Gibbs threw his arm over his eyes and bit back the groans of pain when Tony really started to work the muscles in his leg, but after a while Gibbs felt the muscles start to give and the knots disappearing along with the pain. Tony noticed immediately the moment Gibbs started to relax, and gave himself a little smile. Oh yeah, he still had it, the magic touch. When Gibbs’ leg was fully relaxed, Tony rubbed the remainder of the oil off of Gibbs’ leg and his own hands, and shook Gibbs lightly.  
   
“Hey, you okay?”  
   
“Yeah. Must’ve dozed off a little.”  
   
“Good. That means you’re feeling better. You stay there a little longer, I’ll fix us something to eat.”  
   
Gibbs continued to lie back and watched Tony as he moved around the cabin, picking through the groceries and putting together a couple of plates of food. When he was done, he helped Gibbs up and back to the chair, where they ate and drank in silence. Dinner done, Tony cleared their plates, and Gibbs made his way to the fireplace to start a fire. Though the days were warm and sunny, as soon as the sun disappeared below the horizon, a chill came in the air, and the fire would be pleasant. Tony looked on in approval while Gibbs moved, noticing that he was no longer wincing in pain with every step.  
   
“Feel better?”  
   
“Much better. Thanks, Tony.”  
   
“No problem, Boss.”  
   
With the fire crackling and the soft hiss of the gas lamps lighting the cabin in the background, they both settled in a chair with a book and read for a while, Tony getting up now and then to get them each another drink and feed the fire, and when at last Gibbs yawned and stretched, Tony noted that it was already past midnight. When Gibbs had crawled onto his cot, Tony lay down on the mattress and wrapped the sheets around himself, closing his eyes and breathing deeply for a while. His last thought before he fell asleep was that he hadn’t felt this calm and relaxed in ages. It felt good.  
   
The following morning, Tony woke up to the sound birdsong and sunlight streaming in through the windows. Tony felt wonderful, having slept a full night’s sleep for the first time in months, not woken in the middle of the night by nightmares or thoughts whirring in his mind. The smell of coffee told him Gibbs was already up, and Tony opened his eyes to find Gibbs sitting in one of the chairs with a steaming cup, watching him, a soft smile on Gibbs’ lips. Tony smiled back.  
   
“Morning, Boss.”  
   
“Morning. Coffee’s over there.”  
   
Getting up, Tony stood in his shorts in the middle of the room and stretched his arms and legs, letting his spine crack until all his vertebrae had settled in their right place again. Then he walked over to the coffee and poured himself a cup, finding sugar and creamer already set out, and doctored his drink to his liking before he made his way over to the other chair to sit down next to Gibbs. Gibbs’ eyes followed his every move, and Tony smiled at that. He liked the feeling of Gibbs’ attention on him, had always liked it. And this openly displayed attention added to his contentment that had settled over him last night. When their coffee was finished, Tony got up to get them each another cup, and then set about fixing breakfast.  
   
After breakfast, Tony noticed the wince had returned whenever Gibbs moved, and he had the older man lie down on the mattress again for another massage. While Tony worked on his sore muscles, Gibbs kept his eyes closed, but when it started feeling better, he opened them and just watched Tony as he worked in concentration. It was several minutes later when Tony was finishing, that the younger man finally looked up and saw Gibbs’ eyes locked on him. He gave Gibbs a small smile, and Gibbs reached out his hand to softly brush the backs of his fingers over Tony’s cheek in thanks. Tony’s smile widened, and he helped Gibbs up, then helped him put on the brace again. The sun had already warmed up the air, and Tony threw open the door of the cabin to let the warmth and fresh air in. Gibbs followed him outside, and eyed the stack of firewood.  
   
“Want to help me chop some more firewood?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
And so Gibbs wielded the ax, while Tony supplied him with new trunks to chop and stacked the chopped pieces away. They worked together like a well-oiled machine, and an hour later the stack was fully replenished. Hot and sweaty from the hard work and sunshine, they grabbed some towels and went down to the lake for a swim, Gibbs floating more than swimming because of his leg, and Tony expending his energy by swimming circles around Gibbs like an eager puppy, making the older man smile. When they had had enough, they settled on the jetty and let the sun dry their skin, and Tony babbled about movies while Gibbs grunted in response every now and then, their eyes closed and bodies relaxed. After a while they turned over to let their backs dry as well, and Gibbs smiled to himself as he continued to listen to Tony talking, as always amazed at the way the younger man jumped from one thought to the next, seemingly without pattern. An hour later, they went back to the cabin and Tony fixed lunch, after which they dragged the chairs outside so they could lounge in the sunshine with their books, spending the afternoon reading in companionable silence again. Tony gave Gibbs another massage, Gibbs’ leg muscles having stiffened up while he sat still, and this time Gibbs watched Tony the whole time, Tony’s eyes flicking up to Gibbs’ face every few minutes, a small smile on his face. Once Tony was finished, Gibbs again reached out his hand, this time cupping Tony’s cheek with his palm, caressing his thumb over the soft bristles of Tony’s emerging beard. After dinner, they lit a fire and played cards for a while, talking every now and then, before they went to sleep. As Tony rolled himself into his sheets, he once again thought about how settled he felt, and fell asleep with a smile on his face.  
   
That morning, Tony woke up to sunlight and birdsong and coffee again, and to Gibbs’ eyes on him again. He got up and stretched extensively, reveling in Gibbs’ gaze glued to his body, until Gibbs started to laugh at the show Tony was putting on. Tony grinned back, and got coffee. While they were sipping at their first cup, Gibbs spoke.  
   
“You’re looking better.”  
   
Surprised, Tony raised a questioning eyebrow at Gibbs.  
   
“You’ve been looking tired lately. The dark circles under your eyes are disappearing now.”  
   
“Haven’t been sleeping well.”  
   
“I noticed. Any particular reason?”  
   
“Restless. Too many thoughts. Nightmares sometimes.”  
   
“About?”  
   
“All kinds of stuff, nothing in particular.”  
   
“And now?”  
   
“I slept great. I think it’s the air here. I feel… settled.”  
   
“Good.”  
   
Gibbs nodded and they drank the remainder of their coffee in silence before Tony fixed them breakfast.  
   
“How’s your leg?”  
   
“Bit stiff again.”  
   
“Want another massage?”  
   
“Yeah. Thanks.”  
   
This time, Gibbs stacked their pillows behind his back and made no pretense, didn’t even try to hide that he was looking at Tony the entire time, and when it was done, he reached out his hand again and cupped Tony’s cheek, softly rubbing the pad of his calloused thumb over Tony’s soft bottom lip. Tony breathed in and then gently bit Gibbs’ thumb, both of them grinning and their eyes sparkling. Getting up and putting the brace back in place, Gibbs asked.  
   
“Wanna go fishing?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
So they had grabbed the fishing gear and paddled the boat out to the middle of the lake, and spent the morning fishing, catching a couple of prime specimens that they grilled for lunch. Afterwards, they went swimming again, Gibbs getting out after only a few minutes, Tony staying in and swimming for a while as Gibbs sat on the jetty and watched. Gibbs let his thoughts wander while he looked at Tony sliding through the water. It was clear there was something brewing between them, and it made him feel good. He had no idea why this was happening now, but didn’t worry about it. He took pleasure in watching Tony, and it was clear that Tony liked feeling Gibbs’ eyes on him, if the display he put on for Gibbs that morning was any indication. Tony was a handsome man, and Gibbs felt himself stirring at the sight of him. He didn’t know why he had brushed his thumb over Tony’s lip that morning, but it had just felt right, and Tony’s playful bite in response had made him laugh. He felt carefree and almost… happy. And it was all because of Tony. As if Tony had sensed his thought, the younger man looked up at him from where he was floating in the water, and started to make his way back. Gibbs spread out a towel for him and openly eyed him as Tony climbed out and lay down beside him.  
   
Tony let his thoughts wander while he lay next to Gibbs in the sunshine. This thing that was bubbling between him and Gibbs excited him and calmed him at the same time. It just felt right. Gibbs’ eyes on him made his skin tingle, and Gibbs’ touch to his cheek and lips made him burn with desire. It was strange to have these feelings for Gibbs, but Tony didn’t question it. He’d been attracted to unlikely partners before, and had learned that it was just his body trying to tell him something that his mind couldn’t fathom yet. Some of his best relationships had started this way, but he had to admit that it had never been this strong before. Of course, the fact that Gibbs was a man and his boss made it a little strange, but Gibbs seemed to be feeling the same thing, and Tony had learned to listen to his instincts, to his gut, had learned that from Gibbs, so he wasn’t going to ignore it now. Opening his eyes, he found Gibbs staring at him again, and smiled, then got up.  
   
“Come on. Let’s play some cards.”  
   
Gibbs nodded and followed Tony back to the cabin, where they hauled out the chairs again and settled in the sunshine for an afternoon of playing cards and drinking beer, their fingers brushing over each other whenever they handed each other a card or a beer, their feet entangled in a continuous touch until it was time for dinner. After dinner, Tony ushered Gibbs unto the mattress again for another massage, this time having him roll over unto his stomach after a while, and not stopping at just his leg. Getting more oil, Tony straddled Gibbs' hips and started working his hands over Gibbs’ back, the older man moaning at the pleasurable touches. Tony felt the moans rumble through Gibbs’ chest and instantly got aroused. He didn’t try to hide the fact, but didn’t do anything to make it obvious either, just letting his arousal grow and press against Gibbs whenever he moved. Tony worked on Gibbs’ back and shoulders for more than half an hour, staying hard the entire time, and when he finally stopped and rubbed the oil off Gibbs’ skin with a towel, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the back of Gibbs’ neck, causing a shiver to run through Gibbs’ body. Tony rolled off of Gibbs and lay down beside him, and Gibbs at last lifted his head and looked at Tony, resting his cheek on his hand. They stared at each other for long minutes, then Gibbs reached up and brushed his finger over Tony’s lips, before at last leaning in and pressing his lips against Tony’s. They nibbled and tasted each other for a while, every touch soft and gentle, then pulled back and grinned at each other. When Tony shivered, Gibbs got up and lit a fire, and they settled in their chairs with their books, Tony’s feet resting in Gibbs’ lap and Gibbs’ fingers playing with Tony’s toes while they read until late in the evening. That night when they went to sleep, Tony not only wrapped his sheets around him, but Gibbs’ arms as well.  
   
When he woke up in the morning, the smell of coffee told him that Gibbs was already awake, but he was pleasantly surprised to feel Gibbs’ arms around him still. Opening his eyes, he found a steaming cup of coffee on the floor next to his pillow, and Gibbs curled up against his back. Apparently Gibbs had gotten up, but crawled back onto the mattress with him once the coffee was done brewing. The thought that he could tempt Gibbs back to bed made him smile. Rolling onto his back, he looked up at Gibbs and brushed his fingers over the older man’s stubbled cheek. Gibbs leaned down and kissed him softly, and they let their tongues and lips play for a while until the need for coffee became too great. Grinning, Tony mumbled a “good morning” and reached for his cup, finding Gibbs had fixed it for him the way he liked it. Once their cups were empty, Tony rolled on top of Gibbs and took his mouth again in a more passionate kiss than they had shared until now, letting his hands roam over Gibbs’ body in a different way than he had during the massages he had given the older man, and feeling Gibbs’ arousal press against his own. At last Tony reached down and softly grasped Gibbs’ hardness, stroking it experimentally, finding out how Gibbs liked to be touched. His hand teased Gibbs relentlessly while Tony’s lips devoured Gibbs’ mouth, and Tony played with Gibbs for long minutes before he finally sped up his strokes, watching Gibbs closely to file away every reaction to his touch, and when Gibbs closed his eyes and breathed harshly, then stiffened and cried out, Tony couldn’t help a little triumphant smile creeping over his lips. When Gibbs at last opened his eyes again, it was to the vision of Tony licking his own fingers, tasting Gibbs, and Gibbs couldn’t help the little growl that escaped the back of his throat.  
   
Seeing Tony’s eyes widen at the sound, Gibbs smirked and pushed the younger man onto his back, covering his body with his own. Gibbs kissed him deeply, then let his mouth wander down to Tony’s neck, sucking and marking him, then down to his chest where Gibbs found and teased Tony’s nipples for a while before sliding down Tony’s body even further, nipping at the soft skin of his belly, making him gasp. When Gibbs at last reached the waistband of Tony’s shorts, he pulled them down gently, his eyes focused on Tony while he removed the shorts completely. Tony’s eyes widened when Gibbs leaned down, and the younger man squirmed and moaned when Gibbs’ lips touched his hardness, pressing a soft kiss against the tip. When Gibbs reached out his tongue and licked across the tip, Tony groaned, and when Gibbs opened his mouth and let the tip slide inside, Tony’s eyes fell closed and his head fell back into the pillows. Gibbs licked and sucked, and stroked his hand over the shaft, cataloguing every squirm and moan and gasped breath from Tony, until he knew exactly what Tony liked best, then used that information to drive his lover insane. Caressing Tony’s balls with his other hand and playing his fingers over Tony’s ass, Gibbs looked up to take in the picture of Tony writhing in pleasure under his ministrations, and when Gibbs quickly slicked up one finger and pressed it into Tony, then found his sweet spot, Tony cried out and thrashed his head back and forth until he stiffened and poured himself down Gibbs’ throat. Tony was panting harshly while Gibbs kissed his way back up his lover’s body, and when Gibbs reached Tony’s lips again, Tony grabbed and kissed him almost desperately, still riding out the pleasure. When at last he calmed down, Gibbs felt the breathless laughter rumbling in Tony’s chest before he heard the sound, and smiled down at his lover in enjoyment as Tony spoke.  
   
“That was… whoah… amazing…”  
   
“You are amazing.”  
   
They grinned at each other again, and then the need for more coffee took over and they got up in search of it.  
   
The next days followed the same routine they had had since their arrival, except now every massage was followed by deep lingering kisses and hands exploring bodies, every swim was in the nude and interspersed with heavy petting and kissing, every breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted not only of them nibbling on their food, but also on each other. Not bothering with clothes anymore in the warm weather because clothes only got in the way, they spent long days outside in the sunshine working on their tan and on getting to know each other’s bodies better. Tony was pleased at the absence of tan lines, and even more pleased at being able to look at Gibbs’ naked body openly. Gibbs in turn let his eyes rake over Tony’s body almost continuously, and lovingly traced the muscular contours with his gaze. There was almost constant touch, small gestures and kisses, and in the evenings they fell asleep wrapped around each other. Gibbs’ leg was healing wonderfully, and they were both pleased to note that Gibbs could walk around without the brace and without much discomfort again a couple of days later.  
   
The morning of the day that marked the start of their second week at the cabin, Tony woke up to Gibbs nibbling on his neck and Gibbs’ hand around him, stroking him gently, and he let out a soft moan. Gibbs’ hardness was pressed between his ass cheeks, and he wiggled against it. Gibbs continued nibbling on his neck, then whispered softly in his ear.  
   
“Do you wanna try?”  
   
They had talked about this, a little awkwardly, when this thing had started. Tony had never done this before and while everything they had done together so far had blown his mind with pleasure, he was a little apprehensive of taking this last step. Gibbs had teased him with his fingers and made him explode several times, but the thought of having Gibbs inside of him felt like something on a completely different level. Tony turned his head so he could look at Gibbs, and Gibbs took the opportunity to kiss his lips.  
   
“I’ll make it feel good, I promise. Trust me.”  
   
Tony gave Gibbs a small nod.  
   
“I trust you.”  
   
Then Tony kissed Gibbs softly, and turned his back to Gibbs again. Gibbs slicked up his fingers and started preparing Tony gently, stopping after a few minutes when he noted Tony just lay there passively. Withdrawing his fingers and rolling Tony onto his back, Gibbs leaned over him and kissed his lips softly.  
   
“We don’t have to do this, you know, if you don’t want to.”  
   
Tony looked up at him, his eyes honest.  
   
“I want to. I just… I’m a little nervous.”  
   
“You wanna try it the other way around first?”  
   
Tony let out a nervous chuckle, but then his eyes widened a little.  

  “You’d let me do that?”  
   
“Of course. This is not a one way street, you know.”  
   
“That… that… I didn’t think you’d want that.”  
   
Now it was Gibbs’ turn to chuckle.  
   
“How do you think I know that it feels good?”  
   
“Well, I… that just makes me more nervous. Worried that I’d hurt you.”  
   
“You won’t. You’ll be perfect. You always are.”  
   
That made Tony smile brightly, and he pulled Gibbs to him for another deep kiss.  
   
“Take me, Jethro.”  
   
“You sure?”  
   
“Yes. Please, show me.”  
   
“You have to promise me to tell me if you want me to stop, or if you don’t like something, okay?”  
   
“I will, I promise.”  
   
This time, Gibbs had Tony stay on his back and he kissed his way down to Tony’s groin, and Gibbs took him into his mouth and stroked him for a while before he returned his fingers to Tony’s opening. Carefully easing two fingers inside, Gibbs took his time loosening Tony up, all the while distracting him with his mouth and other hand. He had Tony writhing under him in seconds, and when seconds turned to minutes, Tony started to beg.  
   
“Come on, I’m ready… please… take me already…”  
   
Smiling at the change in Tony’s demeanor and eager to have the younger man at last, Gibbs made sure to hit Tony’s sweet spot a couple more times before crawling back up his lover’s body and turning him back onto his side. Tony uttered a soft complaint.  
   
“I want to see you…”  
   
“I know. Next time. This way is easier for now.”  
   
And then Gibbs pulled Tony flush against him, Tony’s back against his chest, and lifted Tony’s leg a little, opening him up. Placing his tip against Tony’s opening, Gibbs slowly pushed in, feeling Tony pant against him, monitoring his lover’s reactions to see if he was still okay, and softly talking to Tony while he moved.  
   
“That’s it, almost there. Stroke yourself a little, that’s it. Just a little more…”  
   
As Gibbs felt his tip slide fully inside, he heard Tony groan deeply, and he stilled his movement to give his lover the chance to adjust, asking him softly if he was okay. Tony breathed deeply and nodded, then pushed his hips back a little, and Gibbs chuckled. With slow small thrusts, Gibbs worked himself further inside until he was fully seated within his lover. Then he reached around and grabbed Tony’s hardness, stroking him gently, pressing kisses to the back of Tony’s neck, until he felt his lover relax. As soon as Tony eased a little, Gibbs drew back his hips and thrust back in.  
   
“Fuck!”  
   
Tony’s cry was clearly one of pleasure, and Gibbs smiled. He kept his movements slow and deliberate, both his thrusts and his strokes, and only when Tony started pushing back against him at every thrust did he increase his speed and depth. Searching for and finding Tony’s sweet spot again, Gibbs made sure to hit it time and again, and Tony came apart under his movements, reduced to a babbling heap of pleasure, until Tony screamed out his climax as Gibbs brought him over the edge. Continuing to thrust and stroke, Gibbs let Tony ride out his release, then grabbed his hips and thrust in more vigorously, finding his own release a few moments later. Keeping Tony enclosed in his arms while they both came down, Gibbs kept kissing the back of his lover’s neck softly, waiting for Tony’s reaction. When Gibbs had softened and he slipped out of Tony, a small whimper of loss escaped Tony’s lips. Then Tony turned around and kissed Gibbs passionately, holding him close and caressing his hands over his back and sides, until he finally pulled away and stared into Gibbs’ eyes.  
   
“That… was… astonishing!”  
   
Gibbs’ grin was wide and his eyes sparkled in pleasure as he kissed his lover again.  
   
One afternoon, a couple of days later, they were lying on the jetty after another mindblowing climax, naked and sated, basking in the warm sunshine. Tony’s head was resting on Gibbs’ shoulder and his fingers were stroking through the silver chest hair he’d quickly come to love, while Gibbs’ fingers stroked through the hair on Tony’s head. Tony’s voice was soft when he spoke.  
   
“Why did this happen now?”  
   
“I don’t know.”  
   
“Did you ever want to before?”  
   
“I don’t know. Did you?”  
   
Tony chuckled a little, then shrugged in answer to Gibbs’ question.  
   
“I don’t know.”  
   
“I looked at you while you were sleeping that morning after we came here, and I just thought you were beautiful.”  
   
Tony snorted.  
   
“Men aren’t beautiful, Gibbs.”  
   
“You are.”  
   
Tony raised his head and stared into Gibbs’ eyes.  
   
“So are you.”  
   
Gibbs laughed and pulled Tony down for a kiss. When Gibbs released him, the words fell off Tony’s lips before he knew it, and his heart started pounding furiously as soon as it registered what he had said.  
   
“I love you.”  
   
Gibbs stared at him a long moment before he responded.  
   
“I love you too. And I’m not just saying that because you said it.”  
   
“I know. You wouldn’t say that unless you meant it.”  
   
“Good.”  
   
After dozing in silence together a little while longer, they went back to the cabin to start dinner.  
   
Their two weeks of leave were almost up, and they had decided to go back that Friday and spend the weekend at home before going back to the office the following Monday. Gibbs’ knee had healed remarkably well, and he was walking around without the brace without trouble, only an occasional twinge reminding him that he should still be careful. They both looked well rested and well fed, and had deep tans from all the time spent naked outside. Tony was stuffing clothes into his bag while Gibbs was packing up the remainder of the food, and Tony grimaced when his shorts rode up as he bent down to pick up a shirt.  
   
“I’m gonna have to get used to wearing clothes again…”  
   
“If I had my way, I’d have you walking around naked all the time.”  
   
Gibbs’ arms wrapped around his waist and Gibbs’ lips nibbled on his neck before the sentence was finished. Tony laughed.  
   
“Gibbs, if you don’t stop that, we’re never getting out of here!”  
   
“You wanna leave that badly?”  
   
Tony turned around in Gibbs’ embrace and looked at him intently.  
   
“No. I wish we could stay here forever. Because this is perfect. And I’m worried that things will be different when we leave. And I don’t want things to be different.”  
   
“Me neither.”  
   
“So what are we gonna do?”  
   
They had been avoiding talking about this until now, but now that they were on the verge of leaving, it had to come up sooner or later. Gibbs sighed.  
   
“What do you want?”  
   
“For this to continue.”  
   
“Yes, but how do you see that going? Do you want to come home with me and stay? Or do you just want to come over now and then when the mood hits you? Do you want to be in a relationship, or be just a couple of… what did Abby call it?... friends with benefits? Do you want to tell everyone, or keep it a secret?”  
   
“Wow, way to lay all the pressure on me, Gibbs!”  
   
“I know what I want, so now I need to know what you want.”  
   
“What is it you want?”  
   
“You, in my house, in my bed, in my life, every damn day.”  
   
“Then take me home, Jethro. To our home. You’ll have me every damn day until you’re sick of me and throw me out.”  
   
“Never gonna happen.”  
   
The kiss Gibbs laid on Tony then was soft and gentle, and full of promises they both prayed they would be able to keep.  
   
On the way back, they stopped to pick up fresh groceries and swung by Tony’s apartment to pick up some more of his clothes and other essentials and his car, and when they arrived at Gibbs’ place, they each grabbed handfuls of things to bring inside. Gibbs opened the door and walked in, but stopped after a couple of steps when he noticed Tony wasn’t following. Turning back, he saw his lover standing at the threshold, a strange expression on his face.  
   
“Something wrong?”  
   
Tony shook his head, then focused his gaze on his lover and walked up to him, pressing his lips against Gibbs’ for a moment before answering.  
   
“No. I just realized that your house has always felt like home to me.”  
   
Gibbs’ smile lit up the room and made Tony love him all the more.  
   
They brought in their stuff and started the mundane tasks of laundry and putting away clothes and groceries, and they aired out the bedroom and changed the bedlinen, because as Tony stated adamantly, there was no way in hell they were going to sleep on the couch. In the evening they indulged in ordering pizza, after almost two weeks of home-cooked meals, and when the pizza had arrived they went down to the basement where they ate and drank bourbon while Gibbs started a new project and Tony sat on the stairs and watched. Every now and then they smiled at each other at the familiarity of it all, wondering why they had never seen it before. That night they showered together for a long time and lovingly caressed each other, before going to bed and making love. That Saturday and Sunday, Gibbs made good on his promise to keep Tony naked as much as possible, and Tony was pleased to find that the fence around Gibbs’ back yard allowed them to walk around naked there without the neighbours seeing them, and they continued the outdoorsy theme they had had at the cabin, making love out on the yard in the glistening sunshine, and later that night under the brightly shining stars.  
   
Monday morning arrived to end the fairy tale. Quick showers and breakfast and coffee were rushed, but when they had suited up and were ready to leave, Gibbs grabbed Tony and pressed him with his back against the door for a deep kiss, releasing him only when their lips were kiss-swollen and they were both breathing heavily.  
   
“Ready, Tony?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Tony pulled his lover in for another kiss, then squeezed Gibbs’ ass.  
   
“Now I’m ready.”  
   
They arrived at the office before the rest of the team, and Gibbs went downstairs to Autopsy for his check-up with Ducky. As soon as he walked in, Ducky gave him a quick once over and exclaimed in pleasure.  
   
“Welcome back, Jethro! You are looking very well, and walking much better too! How are you feeling, dear boy?”  
   
“Fine, Duck.”  
   
“Yes. Yes, I can see that you are. Did you find some lovely company to give you some TLC?”  
   
“You could say that.”  
   
Ducky eyed Gibbs curiously, but knew it would be no use to press for information. Gibbs would share when he was ready to share, but Ducky hoped that this new lady-friend would stick around, because she was obviously exactly what Gibbs needed. When Gibbs stripped off his pants so Ducky could check his leg, the ME noticed the all-over tan and smiled to himself. Yes, she was very good for Gibbs. The check-up was quick, and Ducky was pleased to be able to sign Gibbs off for active duty effective immediately. Paperwork done, Ducky followed his friend back up to the bullpen to greet the rest of the team back from their holidays. They arrived in time to hear Bishop, Abby and McGee exclaim to Tony how great he looked, and ask him what he had done during his leave.  
   
“Oh nothing… I found the love of my life.”  
   
Tony’s answer left the team staring at him open mouthed, and Ducky looked curiously at Gibbs when the silver haired man let out a soft snort, before striding into the bullpen. Gibbs endured a few minutes of chatter, and accepted a few comments on his own healthy look, before at last putting an end to it all with a short bark.  
   
“Okay, enough! Get to work, people!”  
   
During the rest of the day and the following week, whenever they thought Gibbs was out of earshot, Bishop, McGee and Abby questioned Tony about his statement, but Tony just smiled and kept silent. Finally concluding that Tony had been joking, they let it go. Everything returned to normal, but every night, Tony spent curled against Gibbs in their bed. That first night, Gibbs had smirked at Tony.

"You just had to say that, didn't you?"

"Well, I wasn't going to lie to them."

"Really?"

"I meant it, Jethro. I found the love of my life."

"Tony?"

"Hmmm?"

"For the second time in my life… Me too."  
   
   
   
 


	2. One year later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Shellc36, who wanted to be in the second chapter, and for josgotglock, who wanted to gaze upon their nakedness… 
> 
> I hope you like it! :)

_~~ One year later ~~_

 

 

 

“You’ve got to do something, Tony! This is becoming unbearable!”

 

“Yes, Tony! You have to talk to him!”

 

“Why me?”

 

“You’re the only one he might listen to. Not even Ducky’s getting through to him!”

 

“Then what makes you think I have any chance at talking sense into him? If he won’t even listen to Ducky…”

 

“Come on, Tony. You know he sometimes listens to you even when he won’t listen to anyone else. Even though I don’t know why.”

 

“Oh, thanks Bishop, that’s really making me want to do this.”

 

“Please, Tony? For all our sakes? Will you please just try to get him out of whatever is making him act this way?”

 

 

And that’s how Tony ended up here tonight, wheedled into talking to Gibbs by McGee and Bishop, with a healthy dose of Abby’s pleading eyes thrown in for good measure when he went to visit her in the lab later that afternoon. Gibbs had been more grouchy and unapproachable than ever the last few weeks, and Tony nor the team had any idea why, what was making him act this way. Ducky had tried talking to his old friend, but was shot down at every attempt, Abby had tried hugging and kissing him into a better mood, but Gibbs just turned away and rebuked her. Bishop and McGee tried to bear his bad mood as best they could, but didn’t dare enquire after the reason, and Jimmy Palmer simply fled the scene every time he saw Gibbs coming, unwilling to face the man in the foul mood he had been in for weeks now. So that only left Tony.

 

Tony had of course already been trying to discover what was going on with Gibbs, but had not had much success, not even in the privacy of their own home when he was holding Gibbs close in bed together. Gibbs simply wouldn’t talk to him, and he was exasperated by it. All he had been able to conclude was that it must be something private, not related to work, because work was actually going smoothly for a change. They had been solving cases at record speed these last few weeks, and there had been no screw ups or dangerous situations that might have put Gibbs in this foul mood. Tony had been trying to make Gibbs laugh, but every attempt was met with a head slap, each more vicious than the one before, so Tony had stopped trying to lighten the mood that way. He’d been supplying Gibbs with coffee and ran interference as much as he could to protect the team, but Gibbs still lashed out at all of them, and Tony couldn’t redirect Gibbs’ anger away from the others all the time even though he certainly bore the brunt of Gibbs’ foul mood. Tony was worried about his lover, and in all honesty, should have confronted Gibbs sooner, regardless of the team’s pleas, because he wanted to know what was wrong with Gibbs and wanted to make him feel better.

 

So here he was on a Friday evening, pizza and beers in hand, heading down into their basement to face the wrath of Gibbs with a quiet determination. He could practically feel the icy silence start seeping into his bones the moment he started walking down the stairs. Gibbs didn’t look up, but Tony thought he noticed Gibbs’ shoulders hunch a little when Gibbs heard Tony come down. Intriguing. Apparently Gibbs had a feeling about his lover’s intentions here tonight. Without a word, Tony opened two beers and set one in front of Gibbs, then opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice for himself, leaving the box open for Gibbs. He was slightly gratified to see Gibbs take a slice and eat it, washing it down with half of his beer. Tony maintained his silence while they ate and drank, opening more beers when they had each finished the first one. Contrary to popular belief, Tony knew how to be quiet when it mattered, something he’d learned from Gibbs, and applied Gibbs’ own tactics against him now, staying silent and just being there until he’d get the older man to talk, something Gibbs himself did whenever he wanted to lure Tony into talking about what was bothering him. With each minute of silence that passed, Tony saw Gibbs getting more tense, and knew that it was working. When the pizza was gone and they were on their third beers, Tony heard Gibbs sigh and saw him relax a little, but no words were forthcoming yet. Tony continued to wait. It took more than two hours of Tony suppressing his own need to speak and fidget, doing everything he could to stay quiet and still, and at last it paid off.

 

“So, they finally got you to ask me what’s wrong, huh?”

 

Tony didn’t respond.

 

“I’m still not telling you.”

 

Again Tony remained silent.

 

“You’d better go back upstairs, because I won’t talk about it.”

 

Tony quirked his lips, but stayed quiet.

 

“Forget it, DiNozzo, it’s not working.”

 

Tony chuckled under his breath, knowing Gibbs couldn’t see it with his back turned to him.

 

“I can’t tell you.”

 

That made Tony raise his eyebrow. He didn’t think there was anything that Gibbs couldn’t tell him, and he was intrigued. A deep sigh escaped Gibbs’ lips again, and he put down the sander to grab two jars, pouring bourbon into them, then walked over to Tony and handed him one. It was the first time since he’d cone downstairs that Gibbs actually looked at Tony, and the older man reached out a hand to brush it through Tony’s hair affectionately, holding his eyes while he spoke again.

 

“I shouldn’t tell you.”

 

Then Gibbs turned back to his work again. Tony debated with himself for a moment whether to get up and go over to Gibbs, to just ask what was going on, but decided that his tactic of staying silent was working better than expected and he should try to keep it up a little longer.

 

“Fornell was here a couple of weeks ago, when you were in Baltimore seeing your old buddy.”

 

Tony held his breath when Gibbs started talking again.

 

“He talked about how much he missed having someone to love, and he started taking it out on me, saying that I didn’t care about anyone anymore, that I was ice cold, like I used to be at the ends of my marriages. Then he said that the only one I still got fired up for was my boy.”

 

Gibbs looked back at him.

 

“He meant you.”

 

Tony’s eyebrows now practically disappeared into his hairline. Gibbs actually chuckled.

 

“Yeah, that was my reaction too.”

 

Finally Tony spoke.

 

“How does he know? Not even the team has realized!”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

They were silent for long moments, both lost in thought for a while. Then Tony got up and walked over to his lover, putting his hand on Gibbs’ shoulder and turning him around to face him. Tony’s voice was soft.

 

“Hey. Look at me.”

 

Gibbs at last looked up, and Tony saw anguish in his lover’s eyes.

 

“This is what has had you growling like a bear for the past couple of weeks? That Fornell knows about us? And why didn’t you want to tell me?”

 

Gibbs sighed and stepped into his lover’s arms, hugging him close and resting his head on Tony’s shoulder. Tony felt Gibbs relax for the first time in weeks as he softly rubbed small comforting circles over Gibbs’ back, mentally chastising himself again for waiting too long to force Gibbs to talk to him.

 

“It’s not that, Tony. I don’t care that he knows. I think Ducky has his suspicions too. And I don’t care if the others know either.”

 

“Then what’s bothering you that you can’t tell me?”

 

“I was worried.”

 

“About?”

 

“That Fornell was right. That I’m too closed off. Wondering what you’re still doing with me, that I’m shutting you out, hurting you. That’s what happened with my wives and I could see myself in that downwards spiral again, and the thought of losing you… I can’t bear it.”

 

Gibbs looked up a little indignantly when he first felt and then heard the chuckling rumbling in Tony’s chest. Tony just smiled at him, a small gentle smile that spoke volumes. Gibbs was still amazed that Tony’s smile could tell him so much. This one clearly said: You’re an idiot, but you’re my idiot and I love you. And sure enough, Tony’s words confirmed it, but only after Tony had given Gibbs a soft slap to the back of his head.

 

“You idiot. You think I don’t know what you’re like after all these years? You think your silence is gonna drive me away? Don’t you know me better than that?”

 

Gibbs looked at him a little sheepishly.

 

“I should, shouldn’t I.”

 

“Yes, you damn well should. I can take your moods and your silences and your grouchiness and head slaps, and when I’ve had enough of them I’ll just either annoy you so much, or fuck you into the mattress so hard that you finally break and tell me what’s going on. It would be easier if you just talked to me before it got to that, but you just can’t do easy, can you? Lucky for you, I’ve always liked a challenge.”

 

Tony grinned at him, and Gibbs gave him a tender kiss in apology. Tony knew not to expect the word sorry, but Gibbs’ kiss conveyed it clearly, and it was enough for him. Still holding his lover close, Tony spoke again.

 

“You know what I think? We should go to the cabin, reconnect a little. Some alone time in the sunshine. It’s our one year anniversary next weekend. What do you say to a quiet little getaway?”

 

Instantly memories of those magical two weeks they had spent at the cabin last year when Gibbs was recovering from his knee injury flashed through Gibbs’ mind. The sight of Tony’s naked, wet body as he climbed out of the lake after a swim, the picture of Tony’s naked, flushed body when Gibbs made love to him in the flickering light of the fire, the vision of Tony’s naked, aroused body as Gibbs played with him on the jetty in the sunshine. Gibbs had seen Tony naked plenty of times since then of course, and still loved watching him every chance he got, thankful that Tony had no problems in displaying his body for Gibbs, in fact took every opportunity to do so, but those two weeks had made a lasting impression on Gibbs and he couldn’t wait to recapture that. He nodded with a smile.

 

“Good idea. Why don’t we make it a long weekend, take a couple of days off?”

 

That surprised Tony. Neither one of them was known for taking time off, vacation days had been stacking up for both of them over the years. But when he caught the look in his lover’s eyes, he knew that they both needed this, and if Gibbs was willing to take time off work to spend together, he certainly wasn’t going to complain about it. He smiled back. He didn’t need to say anything for Gibbs to know he agreed.

 

On Monday morning, Gibbs went up to the Director immediately upon his arrival to talk to him about his time off. Vance was enthusiastic, glad to see a little of the backlog of vacation time disappear, and extended the few days Gibbs wanted to a full week and a half, taking the team off rotation from Thursday until the next Friday, telling Gibbs to inform his team and get DiNozzo to take some time off too. Gibbs hid a smile at that, and for show huffed in exasperation at Vance’s highhanded behavior. As he descended the stairs, Gibbs caught Tony’s eyes and smiled, and Tony knew they were set for their weekend away. When he breezed into the bullpen, Gibbs barked at his team.

 

“Alright, people! We’re off rotation starting this Thursday until Friday next week. Put in for some vacation time!”

 

McGee and Bishop breathed sighs of relief, and gratefully nodded to Tony, giving him credit for getting grouchy Gibbs off their backs for a full week and a half, and hoping that Gibbs would return from their time off in a better mood. Tony looked back innocently and pretended not to have anything to do with it, already busy adjusting the shopping list in his mind to include additional supplies for the extra days they would have at the cabin. Nothing urgent coming in, they worked on cold cases for the next three days, and in the evenings Tony and Gibbs made their preparations for the trip, both eager to leave. Gibbs’ mood was much better already, and Bishop and McGee wondered what Tony had said to Gibbs to get this result, but Tony stayed quiet and mysterious about it. At last Wednesday afternoon arrived and Gibbs released the team early to start their vacations. Tony and Gibbs drove home quickly, packed up the car with supplies and were on their way to the cabin within half an hour.

 

~~~~~

 

_Excitement bubbled in the voice that started calling out at the figure inside the small cottage in the woods._

_“You’ll never believe it! I saw their car! They’re back!”_

_“Really?? Are you sure?”_

_“It’s them, I swear!”_

_“Oh, wow! Come on then, let’s get over there! I don’t want to miss a thing!”_

_Wasting no time, the two figures rushed through the woods, bringing food and drinks, blankets and binoculars, and when they reached the spot they had determined would allow them to follow all the action at the cabin without being spotted, settled in for long hours of watching, both licking their lips lasciviously._

 

~~~~~

 

Tony stretched and cracked his back after getting out of the car, and breathed in deeply to take in the scent of the woods in the warm sunshine. Feeling the heat of the sun on his back, he removed his t-shirt and threw it on top of the supplies to be carried inside, eager to start on his tan. He grinned widely when he saw the action had caught Gibbs’ eye and his lover stalked over to him as if he were prey, wrapping Tony in his arms and pressing him back against the car while Gibbs kissed him deeply. The odd mixture of calm at just being here and excitement at being here with Gibbs that always settled over him when they came to the cabin, immediately took hold of his mind, and he lost himself in Gibbs’ kiss for long moments, then chuckled when Gibbs released him at last.

 

“It’s gonna be like that, huh?”

 

“You know I can never resist you when you start taking your clothes off, Tony.”

 

Tony gave a fake pout and batted his eyelashes at Gibbs.

 

“So, you’re only interested in my body?”

 

Gibbs ignored the playfulness and answered seriously.

 

“I love you, Tony, all of you. Please don’t ever let me push you away.”

 

Tony cupped Gibbs’ cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lover’s lips, then answered equally seriously.

 

“I won’t, Jethro. I love you, mute bastard and all.”

 

After another quick kiss, they released each other and started bringing in the supplies. Tony looked around the cabin with a pleased smile while he carried in bags of food and drink. They’d been here a couple of times over the past year, and the cabin had been upgraded a little to suit Tony’s need for creature comforts, without making it too domestic to take away the ruggedness that Gibbs needed from this place. The cot had been replaced by an actual bed with a mattress, the chairs had pillows, and Gibbs had built two more lounge chairs for outside, which he was setting up now. There was a tiny fridge that ran on a generator and a small gas cooker so they wouldn’t have to cook everything in the fireplace. It was still sparse, but it managed to suit them both. When their things had been put away, Tony grabbed two cold beers and joined Gibbs outside, leaving the door open to air the cabin out, and he settled on one of the new loungers while Gibbs finished making his way around the cabin, checking the walls and roof to find everything in order. When Gibbs returned to the front of the cabin where Tony was lounging, he accepted the offered beer but rejected the second chair in favor of sitting down between Tony’s legs, resting his back against Tony’s chest. Tony’s arm came around him immediately, and they both leaned back and relaxed, breathing in the warm woodsy air, letting the calm settle over them both. Tony kept slowly stroking his hand over Gibbs’ chest and belly softly, the almost hypnotizing movement mesmerizing both of them, until at last he felt his lover fully relax against him, and continued the slow movements for long minutes more before he softly spoke into Gibbs’ ear.

 

“There you are.”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“The you that was here with me a year ago. I missed this you.”

 

He felt rather than saw the smile appear on Gibbs’ face, and smiled in return, before bending his head and starting to press languid, open mouthed kisses against his lover’s neck. Gibbs moaned softly but didn’t move to touch Tony, just let him mouth his neck and bring shivers to run through his body with the pleasure of it. Tony knew all his most sensitive spots, and regularly made full use of them to drive Gibbs insane, but this was different, not designed to arouse him even though it did, just intended to convey care and love and connection. They sat there like that for long minutes before Gibbs finally moved, getting up and reaching his hand out to Tony to help him up as well.

 

“Let’s go for a swim.”

 

Putting down their empty beers, Gibbs turned back to Tony and slowly drew down his lover’s shorts, removing them and Tony’s sneakers to admire him in all his naked glory. Tony reached for him and equally slowly undressed Gibbs, then grinned and yelled out.

 

“Race you!”

 

Tony immediately set off running for the jetty, diving into the lake when he reached the end, Gibbs hot on his heels. They both spluttered and laughed when they resurfaced, and then swam together with strong, sure strokes for a while before returning to the shore. When they reached the shallows again, Gibbs pulled Tony into his arms and kissed him deeply, this time clearly in passion, and Tony responded in kind. Heat rising between them quickly, they kissed and groped and touched each other, and they reached for each other’s hardness, bringing each other over the edge with quick strokes while they groaned their release into each other’s mouths. Sagging into relaxed boneless heaps, they floated around in the shallows a little while, their fingers interlaced under the surface to stay together. At last they climbed out and stretched out on the jetty to let themselves lazily dry in the last of the sunlight.

 

The air cooled quickly once the sun was down, and they went inside to get some clothes. While Tony prepared dinner, Gibbs started a fire in the fire pit outside and dragged their loungers closer to the flames for the warmth. Tony came out carrying full plates and more beers, and they settled down to eat dinner. Afterwards, they each grabbed a book and read by the light of the fire and a gas lamp for a while, continuous contact between them, until it became too dark and chilly to sit comfortably outside anymore. Retreating into the cabin, they closed the door and settled in for the night. Tony thought he heard a disappointed squee coming from the forest when they went inside, but then dismissed the idea, figuring it had been a bird.

 

Over the next few days, they reconnected on the deep level they had shared here a year ago. Their days were spent outside in the sun, clothes were sparse if they wore them at all, and in between replenishing the stack of firewood, fishing and swimming, they made love to each other with gentle looks and glances, tender touches and softly spoken words. Their minds were calm and their bodies relaxed and healthy, their tans deepening by the hour, the dark circles under their eyes disappearing quickly with the rest and comfort they had here.

 

One afternoon, when they had been there almost a week, they lay on the jetty after a swim, tenderly kissing each other and getting aroused. Tony sat up on his knees next to Gibbs, pushing his lover onto his back, and trailing kisses down Gibbs’ neck and chest and belly, letting his fingers play through Gibbs’ silver chest hair and over the soft skin of his sides, until he reached Gibbs’ arousal. Tony licked a long, slow path from base to tip before taking his lover into his mouth, keeping his touch light and teasing, wanting to draw this out and keep Gibbs on the edge until he begged. Tony loved it when Gibbs begged. It wasn’t long before it started, making Tony grin around the hardness in his mouth, but he refused to relent for long minutes still. At last he released his lover from his mouth, which caused a disappointed groan to escape from Gibbs’ throat, but when Tony straddled Gibbs’ hips and slowly sank down, taking Gibbs inside of him, the disappointment turned into pleasure. When Tony was fully seated on top of him, Gibbs opened his eyes to look at his lover.

 

Tony’s head was thrown back, an ecstatic expression on his face, his eyes closed. Drops of water clung to the ends of his spiky hair and the skin of his shoulders, arms and chest, glittering in the sunshine like glistening gems. Tony’s back was arched, his hands resting on Gibbs’ thighs, Tony’s own thighs spread wide and displaying his hardness resting on Gibbs’ stomach. He was beautiful. The most beautiful thing Gibbs had ever seen, and Gibbs’ breath caught in his throat. Tony opened his eyes at the sound of the gasp, and looked down at his lover. It felt like he could see into Gibbs’ soul at that moment, and he saw the dark and the light, the scary and the good, but most of all, he saw the love, the overwhelming love Gibbs had for him. Frozen in that moment, they stared at each other, seeing each other completely, every aspect and facet, every strength and weakness, every dark little corner and every brightly shining light, every insecurity and past hurt, every moment of joy and happiness. They floated together in that magical moment, their souls combining, twirling around each other, anchoring together. They came back to their bodies with a gasp, then panted harshly.

 

As one they reached for each other, hands clasping together, fingers entangling, and then Tony started moving. He raised and lowered his hips slowly, sinking down onto Gibbs again gently, eyes locked on each other. He kept his movements at that slow gentle pace for a long time, the two of them staying locked together like that for what seemed like hours, until suddenly release fired through them both, each crying out a silent scream with the overwhelming force of it, frozen in place. When at last they could move again, Gibbs sat up, still buried inside of Tony, and wrapped his arms around his lover in his lap, Tony’s arms encircling him as well. Gibbs head rested against Tony’s shoulder, Tony’s cheek rested against Gibbs’ silver head as they breathed each other in, lost to the world.

 

They eventually raised their heads again and looked at each other, that soul deep connection dimmed but still there in their eyes, and Gibbs reached up one hand to softly stroke it through Tony’s hair, a pleasured shiver running through the younger man at the touch.

 

“Marry me, Tony.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Nothing further needed to be said, and they didn’t waste their breath with unnecessary words. It was only when the sun had disappeared below the horizon that they finally left the jetty and returned to the world at last.

 

Those last few days of their vacation were spent in a dreamy haze of touch and scent and sight, and both knew that this time, it would last even after they had left the magical site of the cabin. Returning home on Sunday afternoon, they felt that contentment surround them both still, extending its enchanting qualities to the house now as well. Waking up early the following morning, they took their time making love and then showering, neither caring that it would make them late for work. They drove in together, no longer keeping up the pretense of arriving separately, and strolled into the bullpen to find the team already assembled and in the middle of relaying their activities during the time off to each other.

 

“Good morning, people.”

 

The shock of an actual greeting falling from Gibbs’ lips, even if the tone was his familiar half growl, made the team fall quiet and stare at him. Taking in the sight of Gibbs, tanned, well rested, relaxed, and Tony in similar condition right behind him, leaning against his desk, they studied both men for a few moments. There was something different. They both looked good, better than good, and content, and… happy. Happy Gibbs. And genuinely happy Tony, with the happiness actually reaching his eyes. It was almost inconceivable, but there they were. Bishop and Abby just stared at the two of them, Ducky nodded to himself in confirmation of his suspicions, and McGee cleared his throat, looking away from Gibbs to focus his eyes on Tony.

 

“So what did you do on your vacation, Tony?”

 

Tony grinned at his friend, and with eyes twinkling with happiness, replied.

 

“We celebrated our one year anniversary, and then the love of my life asked me to marry him.”

 

Glancing back at Tony with a smile, Gibbs reached out and entangled his fingers with Tony’s, before he added.

 

“I’m honored Tony accepted my proposal.”

 

The squee that came from Abby reminded Tony of the sounds he’d heard coming from the woods at the cabin a couple of times when they had been outside making love, but that thought was banished from his mind when he was suddenly holding an armful of Goth scientist, grateful that Gibbs was holding part of her too, otherwise he would have been crushed in the hug she laid on them. The others took a little longer, but looking at the two men again, finally realized what was so different. Yes, they looked content and happy and that was new, but there was something else.

 

Together, they finally were complete.

 

 


	3. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For LeiLadleLei, who wanted Tony to confront Fornell about upsetting his man… It turned out a little different, but I hope you still like it...

   
Tony sighed in contentment while Gibbs’ fingers ran through his hair. They were on the jetty in the sunshine, visiting the cabin for a quiet weekend away, Tony’s head in Gibbs’ lap, one of Gibbs’ hands threading through his hair, the other stroking gently over his naked side, still wet from the swim they’d had earlier. As he enjoyed the sensations of his lover’s hands on him, Tony played with Gibbs’ toes, brushing a single finger from the big toe to the little one, before running it softly over the instep of Gibbs’ foot and up his shin to his knee, then back down along the leg until he reached those toes again. Tony loved these quiet moments they had, Gibbs sitting and Tony lying down on his side on the jetty, both facing the lake, small touches between them. These moments reinforced the amazing bond that had formed between them a couple of weeks ago, that instant when their souls had merged and Gibbs had asked Tony to marry him. A smile appeared on Tony’s face whenever he thought back to that, still astonished by how his life had changed over the past year, and that he had found this deep and astounding love with the man he’d worked for and admired for years.  
   
But while Tony was luxuriating in the warmth of the sunshine and the feeling of his lover’s hands on him, Gibbs was in turmoil. He was debating heavily with himself whether to tell Tony what was going on, wishing he could keep it to himself, but knowing that wasn’t fair. And he didn’t want to screw this up the way he had his other relationships. Their time at the cabin a few weeks ago had been preceded by weeks of Gibbs being grouchy and unapproachable, and when Tony had finally confronted his lover about it, Gibbs had told him that it was because of what Fornell had said. That part was true, at least, but Gibbs hadn’t told the complete truth, and it was eating away at him. While he stared out across the lake, he let his thoughts wander back to that night, his hands continuing their stroking of Tony’s hair and body unconsciously.  
   
~~~~~  
   
“I just miss it, you know.”  
   
“Oh, shut up, Tobias.”  
   
“Hey! What happened to the deep and meaningful talks we used to have? We’re friends, remember, Jethro?”  
   
“Yeah, we’re friends, but that doesn’t mean I have to stand here listening to you get sentimental over our ex-wife again.”  
   
“I wasn’t talking about Diane.”  
   
When Gibbs remained silent, Fornell continued.  
   
“Just in general. Just being with someone who knows you, who makes something stir inside of you. Someone you want to get to know better, someone who piques your interest. Someone who…”  
   
“Tobias!”  
   
“What?”  
   
“You really need to shut up now.”  
   
Fornell gulped a large amount of bourbon and winced as the amber liquid made its way down his throat.  
   
“You’re cold, Jethro. You’ve been cold for a while now, like you were in those last months with Rebecca and Stephanie. You’re shutting everyone out. You haven’t been over to my place for ages, and if I hadn’t just barged in here tonight, you would’ve shut the door in my face. You don’t want me here, you don’t want anyone here. All you care about anymore is your boy.”  
   
That got Gibbs’ attention, and he looked back at his old friend.  
   
“What?”  
   
“Your boy. DiNutzo. That’s who you are now, Jethro? Lusting after a prime piece of ass to the exclusion of everyone and everything else?”  
   
“What are you talking about?”  
   
“Oh, come on. You’re fucking DiNutzo, and that’s all you care about. Where is he anyway?”  
   
“Tobias…”  
   
“Don’t glare at me, it doesn’t impress me.”  
   
Gibbs studied his friend for a long time, and then ventured a guess, making it sound like a statement.  
   
“You’re jealous.”  
   
Fornell poured the remainder of his drink down his throat and got up. As he retreated up the stairs, Gibbs could barely make out the words his friend muttered under his breath as he left.  
   
“Fucking right I am.”  
   
~~~~~  
   
Movement from Tony brought Gibbs back to the present. His lover rolled onto his back and reached up his hand to stroke his fingers over Gibbs’ cheek and neck, then brushed them over Gibbs’ lips.  
   
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”  
   
Gibbs gave a short grin at Tony’s question. He should have known that Tony would sense something, his lover knew him too well. Then Gibbs sighed.  
   
“Remember about Fornell? That I said I couldn’t tell you?”  
   
“Of course I do. And I need to have a few words with him about making you freak out.”  
   
“Don’t. I didn’t tell you everything.”  
   
Tony sat up and stared his lover in the eyes, trying to find out whether he should be worried, and why Gibbs had withheld information from him. Not liking the look he saw on Gibbs’ face, Tony narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
   
“Okay… so you’d better tell me now.”  
   
“He’s jealous.”  
   
“Of…?”  
   
“You and me.”  
   
At that, Tony’s eyes softened, and he kissed Gibbs softly and chastely before he spoke.  
   
“He’s got every reason to be. They all do. What we have… you and me… it’s incredible.”  
   
Then Tony cupped Gibbs’ face between his hands and started kissing him again, slowly and deliberately kissing his lover into relaxed submission, until he could push him down onto his back on the jetty. Using his hands and mouth, Tony worshipped Gibbs’ body until he had his lover writhing beneath him before he slowly entered him. Their eyes locked on each other, they felt that bond between them strengthen with every movement, every touch, and as always when they were at the cabin, it transported them to another plane of consciousness, one where only they existed, where only they could go, where they were truly one. They remained there for as long as they moved together, descending back to earth only after they had spent themselves. Then Tony kissed Gibbs again, settling into his lover’s arms, dozing together in the bright sunshine playing over their bodies, a happy mess.  
   
When they arrived home late that Sunday afternoon, they found Fornell sitting on the porch.  
   
A look from Gibbs sent Tony upstairs with their bags while Gibbs ushered Fornell into the living room and onto the couch, supplying his friend with a drink and taking one for himself as well. They drank in silence for a while, and listened to the sounds of Tony moving around upstairs, then coming back down and going outside into the backyard. Gibbs eyed Fornell carefully, trying to find out what had brought the other man here today. At last Fornell spoke.  
   
“Heard you’re getting married again.”  
   
“I am.”  
   
“To DiNutzo?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Fornell stared at his hands while he let out a deep sigh, and there was more long silence between them. Drinks finished, Gibbs got up and went to the kitchen to get more. Closing the fridge after grabbing two beers, Gibbs turned around to find Fornell standing behind him, his friend’s eyes on something in the backyard. Following Fornell’s line of sight, Gibbs saw that he was staring at Tony, dressed only in shorts, splayed out on the lounger Gibbs had built for them and that they often made love on. Tony’s eyes were closed and his body seemed relaxed, but Gibbs knew his lover well enough to see the small signs of tension. He knew Tony was worried about Fornell, and not pleased that Gibbs had asked him wordlessly to let him handle it.  
   
“I can see the attraction.”  
   
Gibbs smiled despite himself, temporarily lost in the sight of his beautiful lover splayed out in the soft sunlight of the late afternoon. The only thing that could make the picture more perfect in his eyes was if Tony removed his shorts, and of course, if Gibbs could gaze upon him from close by. His mouth practically started to water at the thought, and Gibbs shook his head to bring himself back to focus on Fornell.  
   
“I didn’t know you had a thing for pretty boys, Gibbs.”  
   
“I love him, Tobias.”  
   
Fornell looked at Gibbs, and saw his friend’s eyes still focused on Tony, a soft and gentle expression on Gibbs’ face. Fornell smiled a little to himself, a sad little smile in acknowledgement.  
   
“I know. I’ve known for months. I came by here on a Saturday morning last September and saw the two of you out there, where he is now. You were holding him close, and you had this look in your eyes that told me exactly how you felt about him. All this time, I could only hope that he didn’t feel the same about you, but he does, doesn’t he.”  
   
It wasn’t a question, and Gibbs didn’t respond. The two men turned to each other and Fornell reached out a hand to put it on Gibbs’ shoulder, patted Gibbs’ cheek softly in an uncharacteristic gesture, then smiled a little and left, his parting words sounding almost like a farewell to Gibbs, like Fornell was letting go of something.  
   
“I just want you to be happy, Jethro.”  
   
   
From his spot on the lounger, Tony was intently following every move made by the two men in the kitchen. He felt a fierce possessiveness shoot through him when he saw Fornell touch Gibbs, holding back a soft growl of *mine*, then watched as Gibbs just stood there for a while, staring after the long since departed man. Tony breathed a sigh of relief when Gibbs at last shook himself out of whatever it was that had held him captive, and Gibbs turned to look at Tony again, smiling when he now clearly saw Tony’s eyes were open and fixed on him. The two beers he’d grabbed when he had come into the kitchen still in hand, Gibbs made his way over to Tony and sat down on the edge of the lounger, handing Tony one of the beers. Feeling the need to erase Fornell’s touch on his lover, Tony quickly wrapped his legs around Gibbs’ waist and pulled him to his chest, relaxing only when Gibbs was finally flush against him and they were leaning back against the pillows of the lounger together.  
   
“You okay, Gibbs?”  
   
Gibbs nodded, and quickly relayed the conversation he’d had with Fornell to Tony, ending by adding his own conclusion.  
   
“I think he’s in love with you.”  
   
Tony chuckled, shaking his head at his lover’s blindness.  
   
“You’re wrong, you know. It’s not me he’s interested in, it’s you.”  
   
Gibbs stared at Tony incredulously, letting everything play out in his mind again, then closed his eyes and groaned deeply, letting his head drop down onto Tony’s shoulder.  
   
“My life used to be so much simpler…”  
   
Tony just laughed out loud while he consoled his mortified lover.  
 


	4. Private bonding

Standing in the middle of the cabin, eyes closed for a moment in silence, Gibbs and Tony let the magical atmosphere that existed here wrap itself around them comfortingly. It had been months since they had last been here, and both were in need of the reassurance the cabin always brought them. Things were good between them, but work had been hell, and they were both beyond tired and on their last nerves. Months of back to back cases, Gibbs getting shot, another terrorist threat, the weirdness between Gibbs and Fornell after what had happened, and in between it all the constant questions about when they were getting married and what they wanted to do for their bachelor parties and who was going to get to be the best man… it was starting to feel more like harassment than genuine interest, and they were both tired of it. Even on the rare days they hadn’t been at the office or out in the field, there were visits or calls or texts from Abby and the others, wanting to make plans for their wedding, and no one seemed to understand that they just couldn’t deal with that with everything that was going on. Their wedding was not something that they wanted to do in a rush, planned quickly in between a hundred other things that needed their attention, in hopes that nothing would come up on the day itself that would ruin their plans.  
   
Yesterday Gibbs and Tony had come back to the office after tying up some loose ends to the case they were closing, to find Abby and Bishop huddled together over a couple of magazines the sight of which the two men had come to loathe over the past few months, magazines filled with tuxedos and wedding cakes and flower arrangements. Even McGee was putting in his two cents whenever they asked him. As soon as Tony settled behind his desk, the two women started to make their way over to him, chattering about the cut of a particular tux, clearly wanting Tony to look at it and give his opinion. Gibbs didn’t even need to look at his lover to know he was about to explode, and decided he had better put a stop to it, not wanting to risk Tony showing his anger and hurting his relationship with his team members and friends. Gibbs was fine with being the bogeyman, that was his job after all, and he was also the boss, so the team had little choice but to accept his moods.  
   
“Enough!”  
   
Gibbs’ exclamation was loud enough to not only freeze the two women in place, but the entire room. Everyone stared at Gibbs, eyes wide at the obvious anger in his voice.  
   
“This ends now! There will be no more talk of tuxedos and cakes and flowers! There will be no more talk of weddings! Get rid of those magazines and get back to work!”  
   
Everyone scurried to obey his order, and Gibbs ignored the hurt look on Abby’s face in favor of seeing the relieved one on his lover’s. Giving Tony a tiny, barely perceptible nod that he knew his lover understood loud and clear, Gibbs sat down at his desk and pretended to be engrossed in whatever was currently on his computer monitor, while in reality he tried to organize his thoughts. He really was sick of all the wedding talk and so was Tony, they couldn’t even bring themselves to talk about it anymore when they were finally alone. It was starting to feel like any chance of a wedding was getting farther and farther away from them, obstacles constantly being thrown on their path by terrorists and murderers and thieves. He was tired and his nerves were frayed, and he knew Tony felt the same way. It had been far too long since they had had some real quality time together, and they needed rest and tranquility, and each other. Taking a decision, he looked over at Tony, seeing his lover look over at him at that exact same time, and knew they were on the same page. Another tiny nod, then Gibbs got up and went to see the Director. Vance had witnessed Gibbs’ outburst and was already waiting for him, immediately approving a week’s vacation for the team. Sweeping back into the bullpen, Gibbs informed his team and issued orders for them to finish their reports and then take off. That evening, Gibbs and Tony packed what they would need and went to bed early, already starting to feel better knowing they would be at the cabin the following day.  
   
Leaving at the crack of dawn, they arrived at the cabin early in the morning, having stopped off for groceries on the way. It looked very different from the last time they had been there, everything covered by a thick blanket of snow now, the lake frozen over, but the feel of the place was exactly the same. The calm descended over them as soon as they got out of the car, every sound muted by the thick cover of snow, the crisp air fresh and icy in their lungs as they breathed deeply. They each grabbed a couple of bags and made their way inside, dropping their bags to the floor and just standing there, eyes closed and soaking up the magic. They reached for each other at the same time, wrapping their arms around each other gently, just holding each other close, heads resting on each other’s shoulders, breath tickling each other’s necks. They stood there like that for long minutes before they finally raised their eyes to each other again, and exchanged a soft kiss and smile. They were home.  
   
While Tony brought in the rest of their things and supplies, Gibbs did a quick check of the cabin, then built a fire. Tony put away their things and made the bed, and Gibbs brought in more firewood and put the kettle on the fire to start a pot of coffee. By the time the coffee was done, Tony had put together a quick breakfast, and they settled on the couch together to eat and drink and just lean against each other. Breakfast done, Gibbs wrapped his arms around his lover and pulled Tony against his chest, both stretching out on the couch. Tony leaned back against Gibbs, resting his head against his lover’s shoulder and closing his eyes. They were both asleep within minutes.  
   
Waking up about an hour later, Tony smiled to himself when he realized that the cabin had performed its magic again. He felt truly calm and relaxed for the first time in weeks, if not months, and when he carefully extracted himself from his still sleeping lover’s arms, he saw the same on Gibbs’ face. Tony got up to feed the fire which had almost died down, and picked up a blanket to cover his lover with, but Gibbs grumbled and opened his eyes, grabbing Tony’s wrist and pulling him down onto the couch again, wrapping him in his arms. Smiling happily, Tony moved around a little to get them both more comfortable, and they just dozed together for a while, spending the morning just lounging together, Tony getting up to tend to the fire every now and then, but returning to Gibbs’ arms again immediately after.  
   
At last Gibbs seemed to have enough of the inactivity, because his hands started roaming over Tony’s body and his lips started nibbling on Tony’s neck, and soon he was pulling at Tony’s clothes to get them out of the way. Tony enthusiastically helped Gibbs divest him of his clothes, and then equally delightedly removed Gibbs’ clothes as well, kissing and caressing his lover everywhere. By the time they had made their way from the couch to the bed, they were both gloriously naked and hard, and they crawled under the covers and on top of each other, kissing and touching and arousing each other even further, until at last Gibbs buried himself inside of Tony. Holding still when he was fully inside, Gibbs looked down at his lover, staring into his eyes, and saw the reflections of Tony’s soul shine in them. Looking up at Gibbs, Tony saw the same, and they held each other’s gaze for long minutes, not moving, just seeing and feeling each other. Finally, they both whispered breathlessly at the same time.  
   
“I love you.”  
   
Their mouths met for a slow and tender kiss, and then Gibbs started moving his hips in an equally slow and tender rhythm, mimicking the thrusts of his hips with those of his tongue, their entangled fingers resting on the mattress next to Tony’s head. Tony felt anchored by Gibbs’ mouth and hands and hips, completely covered and sheltered by Gibbs’ body, felt himself being suffused by Gibbs, body and soul. Gibbs felt himself sink into Tony, into his mouth and into his ass, into his eyes and his heart and his soul, until he couldn’t tell where he ended and Tony began, and then there was peace. Neither had any idea how long it lasted, how long they floated around in that universe of their own making that belonged to them and them alone, where they found each other and lost themselves as always.  
   
When they woke up it was dark, and the air had chilled since the fire in the fireplace had burned itself out. Smiling at each other, they quickly got into their clothes again, and while Gibbs lit the gas lamps and rekindled the fire, Tony started preparing dinner. Gibbs poured them each a glass of bourbon, and wrapped his arms around Tony from behind while the younger man chopped some vegetables and sausage, Gibbs snatching a piece now and then, kissing Tony’s neck whenever he felt like it, making his lover smile and shiver. After dinner, they settled back on the couch again, not talking, merely feeling each other and touching, needing to feel the other close. They went to bed early, huddled closely together against the cold they knew would come as soon as the fire died out, and slept for long, long hours, wrapped around each other in a protective cocoon of love and devotion.

When Tony woke up the following morning, the light permeating through the windows told him it was already late, and he smelled coffee and felt warmth, both in the air and against his body, and heard the crackling of a fire burning brightly on the fireplace. He knew instantly that, as always, his lover had woken before him and tended to the things that made Tony comfortable, warmth from a fire, coffee at the ready, and then Gibbs had slipped back into bed with him to do the thing that made Tony most comfortable of all, wrapping his arms around his lover and holding him close, letting him know he was there and always would be, that he loved him. Tony required affirmation sometimes, something Gibbs had known from the very beginning, but Gibbs never would have imagined in those early days that all he needed to do to truly settle Tony and reassure him, was simply to wrap his arms around the younger man and hold him close. Even when Tony was asleep, Gibbs felt his lover relax against him when he held him close, an instant reaction to the touch of loving arms surrounding him. It always seemed to have even more effect when they were at the cabin, and Gibbs himself could feel it there strongest as well. Never one to be idle, Gibbs couldn't abide laziness, but when he was wrapped around Tony, he happily lazed around for hours, not doing anything, just feeling his lover near.

The following days at the cabin were spent much the same as the first, just lounging around, making love, holding and feeling each other close, resting, and letting the magical calm of the cabin transport them to their own little universe. It was the evening of the third day that Tony felt comfortable enough to switch their phones back on. The beeps announcing many texts and voicemails waiting on each of their phones had Tony wince in displeasure. Reading and listening to the messages, they each grew more uncomfortable by the minute. They knew the team were excited about them getting married, but this was becoming ridiculous. Even Jimmy Palmer had dared leave a text on Gibbs' phone about a wedding cake, and they both growled at the presumption of their team thinking they needed them to take care of these things.

"What are we going to do?"

"Do you still want to marry me, Tony?"

"Yes, of course I do! There is nothing in the world that makes me happier than the thought that you want me that way, want to have me forever. But I can't stand how they are all reacting, and, oh damn, I'm gonna have to tell Senior…"

Clearly seeing the distress in his lover's demeanor, Gibbs pulled Tony close again. 

"Can I offer a compromise?"

Curiously, Tony gazed at his lover. 

"What do you mean?"

Gibbs reached into his pocket and drew out a small velvet covered box. 

"I saw these and got them. Don't know if you'll like them, but… it's the feeling that's important, isn't it?"

Tony stared at the box for a while, then opened it carefully. Embedded in the velvet were two simple platinum rings, perfect in Tony's eyes. Looking up at his lover, Tony sighed contentedly, and only said a single word.

"Yes."

That evening they exchanged rings and made each other promises, and that night they made love more passionately than ever. There was no minister, were no witnesses, nothing but their own little universe that sheltered and protected them, and when they were there, they felt the bond between them expand and grow in ways they hadn't imagined possible. A new strength grew in each of them, a connection that bound them together completely, and they felt more alive than ever. They slept curled around each other, entangled not only in body, but in soul as well.

The following day after breakfast, they went for a walk around the lake. The snow was deep and made it slow going, but they were in no rush. Tony was deep in thought as they walked along, and Gibbs eyed his lover a little worriedly. When Gibbs stopped walking to stare up at the sky a moment, breathing in deeply and feeling to cold air clear his lungs, Tony didn't even notice his lover was no longer beside him. It was only when a soft snowball hit him on the back of the head where he would normally feel the head slap, that he stopped in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he stared at his lover incredulously.

"Did you just snow slap me?"

Gibbs looked back innocently, but couldn't hold that expression for long, letting a grin take over his face when Tony looked so indignant at the affront of being hit by a snowball. When he saw the genuine entertainment on Gibbs' face, Tony's eyes took on an evil glint, and he quickly scooped up a handful of snow to throw at his lover, hitting Gibbs square in the face, intending to wipe the amused grin off. Instead, Gibbs just started laughing out loud, and Tony couldn't hold back his own laughter at the sight and sound of his lover so blatantly happy. Walking back to Gibbs, Tony took him into his arms and kissed him soundly. When the kiss ended, Gibbs held his eyes and spoke softly.

"There you are, my love. Don't disappear on me again. I need you happy and laughing."

"I'm sorry. It's just…"

"I know. Let's talk about what we want to do, okay? Together?"

"You're actually telling me to talk? This is creepy."

But Tony said it with humor in his voice, and Gibbs smiled back at him in amusement. Taking Tony's gloved hand in his own, Gibbs turned and they resumed their way around the lake, walking slowly and talking. They discussed what they wanted for their wedding, how they wanted it to be, planning when they wanted to finally get married, what they wanted to do for their honeymoon, and as always, they found their ideas matched up perfectly. Then they talked about what to do about the team, how they wanted to handle their constant interference into something that they saw as a private thing between the two of them. But they also realized that their friends were just happy for them and wanted to celebrate with them, and that while they may have gotten a little carried away in their enthusiasm, they meant well. By the time they had rounded the lake, they had pretty much settled everything between them, and they went back inside in much better moods than they had left the cabin two hours earlier.

Gibbs started a fire and Tony made coffee and sandwiches, and they settled on the couch together to eat and drink, their legs entangled and arms brushing against each other. Food and coffee gone, Gibbs pushed Tony back against the armrest and wrapped his arms around his lover, using Tony's chest as his pillow. 

"So, that's how we're going to do it? You don't mind letting them take over?"

"I don't mind, Jethro. As far as I'm concerned, we got married last night. The rest is just a party."

"I feel the same. Last night was… perfect. I love you."

"I love you too."

And Tony smiled at the easy way Gibbs told him he loved him, the way Gibbs always wanted to touch him and hold him and comfort him, and accepted the same from Tony in return. With every minute they spent at the cabin, the quiet and enchanted atmosphere of the place strengthened the bond between them, and now that they had finally talked about want they wanted with regard to their wedding, the peaceful calm they had come in search of settled over them and anchored inside of them at last.

When Tony started brushing his hands over Gibbs' back, he felt the ring on his finger move and grinned at the feeling of it. His wedding ring. He was wearing his wedding ring. Gibbs' wedding ring. It was oddly exciting and the thought made him giddy, and Gibbs grunted when he felt Tony get hard under him. Looking up at Tony's grinning face, Gibbs asked what got him so excited all of a sudden, and was promptly kissed into submission by his lover. All Gibbs could do was lean back against the couch, and let the force that was Tony take over. Tony straddled his lover's lap, cradled Gibbs' face in his hands while he kissed him so deeply that Gibbs almost felt owned by Tony, then the younger man started moving down, removing Gibbs' shirt and sweater so he could play over his naked chest, then further down still, opening Gibbs jeans and pulling them off, getting them out of the way. Gibbs lay back still dazed from the kisses and Tony's touch all over his body, hard and wanting, and shivering with arousal when he saw Tony stare at him as if he were lunch and Tony was starving. Tony's hands roamed all over Gibbs' body, his mouth following every trace of his fingers, until finally, finally, Tony freed his own arousal and entered his lover.

Tony held still inside of Gibbs, holding his eyes locked on his lover's until Gibbs looked back up at him, and there it was again, even stronger than before. Gibbs reached up one hand to cup Tony's cheek, and softly said a single word.

"Husband."

Gasping a deep breath, Tony leaned in and kissed Gibbs again, then started moving, soft and gentle mixed with hard and fast and back to slow and loving. Every move he made was met by Gibbs with equal passion, and when they finally exploded, it was overwhelming, Tony collapsing onto Gibbs, Gibbs' arms holding him tightly to his chest, his lips brushing through Tony's hair, peppering him with kisses. When at last Tony could move again, he raised his head and looked up at his lover, kissed him softly, and repeated Gibbs' earlier whisper.

"Husband."

 

On Monday morning, they arrived at the office before the rest of the team, and got some work done in peace and quiet for a change. Of course, as soon as the others came in, that peace was threatened by the questioning looks they started throwing at Tony and Gibbs. Tony could see more wedding talk in their eyes, but they were unsure whether it was safe to start talking, Gibbs' outburst of a week ago still fresh in mind. When Abby, with Ducky and Palmer in tow, came up to the bullpen a few minutes later however, she displayed no such qualms, and started talking cake to Tony. But before she could finish half a sentence, Tony held up his hand in a stop-gesture, and Abby's eyes grew wide. She grabbed his hand and pulled it down, staring at the ring, touching it softly with a single finger, then looked back at Tony's face, expression sad and hurt.

"You eloped?"

Tony glanced over at Gibbs, who was already getting up and walking over to them, removing Tony's hand from Abby's to hold on to it himself. A quick look told Abby that Gibbs was wearing a ring now too, and she pouted disappointedly at him. The only concession Gibbs made was a tiny kiss to her cheek, then he told them all to gather round. Taking a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his sports coat, Gibbs held it up for them all to see, then he spoke.

"This is how it's going to be. We're getting married in July. This list holds our basic wishes and preferences. You can make all the arrangements in line with our wishes, so long as you leave us out of it. No more texts, no calls, no endless chatter. You can ask us questions once a week, for ten minutes. That's all."

Tony had gotten up while Gibbs was talking, and now, standing next to his lover, added more instructions.

"The dates are set. You don't have to do anything about the honeymoon, or about our clothes, that's all taken care of. The rest of it, as long as you follow that list, is all yours. Go wild, plan a great party. Our guest list is included."

They saw the questions still brimming in their friends' eyes, but no one dared ask them, and Gibbs and Tony didn't volunteer any further information at that moment. They knew it was only a matter of time before the rules they had just laid down would be broken and wedding talk would once again become the bane of their existence, but they also knew that they were better prepared to handle it now, stronger together, settled and bonded. All Tony had to do to relax was rub his finger over his wedding ring, and all Gibbs had to do was look at Tony's small smile as he touched his wedding ring to calm down again. Giving each other a quick glance and a small nod, they released each other's hands, and Gibbs ordered everyone back to work again.

From above, on the balcony outside MTAC, Leon Vance watched the proceedings with interest and smiled to himself. It was good to see the two men so happy, and he didn't even mind the little twinge of jealousy that they had found what he had lost. A July wedding. Plenty of time then to make arrangements. He needed a date.


	5. The wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to all of you who love this story, and a big LOL to those of you whose comments had me laughing! :) In the end I decided this story was about Tony and Gibbs, so I didn't pick up on your comments (maybe later…) - but I did leave you a hint ;) as to which pairings I would think of… Hope you like it! :)

They lay together on the lounger in the backyard, Gibbs’ head nestled in the crook of Tony’s neck, Gibbs’ arm loosely slung over Tony’s chest, Tony’s feet tangled with those of his lover and his hand playing softly over the contours of Gibbs’ chest and side, the already warm sunlight of the early morning shining down on them, illuminating the planes of their bodies and casting shadows into the dips in between their muscles. If she hadn’t many times already witnessed the deep love and devotion between her boss and his second in command, her father-figure and surrogate big brother – and shouldn’t that be a worrying thought under different circumstances? –, this moment, seeing them there like that, would have told her clearly of the extraordinary bond between the two men. Tony, always easygoing, fun and relaxed, now looked truly calm and settled at having his lover in his arms. Gibbs, always intense and focused, now looked peaceful and quiescent at holding his lover near.  
   
Abby stood in the kitchen staring out at them for long minutes before she finally let out a deep sigh of delight. She was happy for both of them, really happy, and had to admit to herself that they made her happy too. Not just at the knowledge that they had found each other, but at the deeply desirable visuals they provided her with in these stolen moments, when they thought no one was looking and their eyes found each other, gazes softening instantly at the sight of each other, and the small smiles and touches they exchanged then. And of course, this morning she had woken up as she heard them moving around upstairs, had kept up the pretense of sleep when they came down and moved into the backyard, and had tiptoed into the kitchen to watch them for a while, letting the delightful image of those two handsome men she loved so much burn into her mind. She startled slightly when arms wrapped around her from behind, but managed to suppress the squeak she would normally have let out, her senses telling her instantly that it was McGee and it was safe.  
   
“Hey, Tim.”  
   
“Morning, Abbs. Spying, are we?”  
   
“Just a little, maybe. They just look so pretty together.”  
   
“Pretty? Don’t let Gibbs hear you call him that.”  
   
“He wouldn’t mind, not from me?!”  
   
“No, probably not. You been awake long?”  
   
“Fifteen minutes maybe. I woke up when they came downstairs.”  
   
“And you wanted to take the opportunity to get some more visuals, did you?”  
   
“What do you know about my visuals, McGee?”  
   
“Come on, Abbs. I know you.”  
   
“Yes. Yes, you do.”  
   
And she leaned back against McGee’s chest while they both stared out into the backyard a little longer, then turned her head into his neck to press a soft kiss there, before softly speaking.  
   
“Thank you, Timmy.”  
   
“For what?”  
   
“Just… you know.”  
   
“Oh.”  
   
McGee didn’t really know, but he didn’t mind. He just happily stood there holding her, his cheek resting on the top of her head, her body flush against his. They only broke apart when Palmer came into the kitchen in search of coffee.  
   
“Hey, guys! So, last night was fun, huh?”  
   
The sound of Jimmy rummaging around in the cabinets in search of coffee beans and mugs and sugar seemed to rouse the other occupants of the house as well, and within a few minutes they were all lounging around in the kitchen, talking quietly, waiting for the coffee to brew, and stealing glances at the loving pair in the backyard every now and then, soft smiles playing on their faces whenever they did.  
   
   
Out in the backyard, the two lovers spoke quietly as they languished together in the sunshine, their eyes closed in the comforting cocoon of each other’s arms.  
   
“They’re watching us, you know.” 

“Don’t care. Let them look. As long as they don’t touch.”  
   
“You getting possessive, Gibbs?”  
   
“Always was. You’re mine.”  
   
“Forever.”  
   
Arms tightening a little around each other, they confirmed that bond between them again, Tony’s toes brushing over Gibbs’ feet, Gibbs’ fingers stroking through Tony’s chest hair, those soft touches an affirmation of the connection between their souls.  
   
“Did you have fun last night, Tony?”  
   
“Yeah. Yeah, I did. You?”  
   
“Hmm. Not disappointed I vetoed those strippers Abby wanted?”  “The only one I wanna see strip for me is you.”  
   
“Good.”  
   
The previous night had been their combined bachelor party, and despite the wild plans that had been discussed between the team who were organizing it – a bar crawl, a wild night out clubbing, a murder mystery tour (as if they didn’t see enough of that in real life) and the obligatory strippers – in the end they had all realized that what the two men wanted, what suited them best, was simply an evening in the company of their friends, with good food and plenty of drinks, and a few games thrown in for good measure. So they had all assembled at Gibbs’ and Tony’s house, laden with supplies and prepared for staying the night, and they had played and had fun together from the early hours of the evening until the early hours of the morning. Some of the games they’d played had been exceedingly childish, but the harkening back to their childhoods had only added to the enjoyment and had them all laughing uncontrollably at times. Highlights included Leon Vance and A.J. Chegwidden locked in battle on the Twister mat, Ducky and Palmer facing off against each other over a game of Operation to see who had the better autopsy skills after copious amounts of alcohol, and Tony’s frat brother Steve frustrating the hell out of Fornell over a game of Ludo. The alcohol flowing freely had loosened them up sufficiently later in the evening to set the stage for games of spin the bottle and truth or dare, leading to some very interesting outcomes that would need to be explored further when they had sobered up a little. They had all crashed a few hours ago, spread around the living room and den on airbeds and futons, sleeping the deep sleep of the heavily inebriated, waking up early in the morning with alcohol still buzzing through their veins, dulled but pleasant. It would be a quiet day today.  
   
Coffee brewed and handed out, Steve and Tony’s other two frat buddies who had been invited quickly took over the kitchen, claiming that if anyone knew how to cook up a great hangover breakfast, it would be frat boys, and soon the smells of bacon, sausages and eggs, pancakes and toast permeated the air. Abby brought two steaming cups of coffee to the lovers outside, grinning widely at them and calling them cute, which caused loud but clearly halfhearted protests from the two men. After breakfast they all took turns in the bathrooms and drank more coffee, feeling a little more human by the time the sun was high in the sky and Gibbs and Tony came back inside to join their guests. Lighthearted teasing flowed between them at the memories of some of the things that had happened the previous night, and around noon the group broke up to return to their respective homes and recover further from their night of fun.  
   
Showered and dressed about an hour after they had said goodbye to their friends, Tony and Gibbs got into the car and drove to town. It was only two weeks before their wedding day, and they had their final fitting for the tuxes Tony had chosen for them to wear on the day. Gibbs had gladly left the choice of garments to his lover, and hadn’t even grumbled too much the three previous times he had been dragged to Tony’s tailor, first to choose the suits and get measured, then for the subsequent two fittings. Tony and Gibbs had deliberately not seen each other in their tuxedos yet, being taken to separate fitting rooms, and Tony was itching to finally see his lover all decked out. Arriving at the tailor’s, they were supplied with more coffee and then ushered into their separate fitting rooms to change.  
   
Tony checked himself out in the huge mirrors from all angles, liking the cut of the tux and the accessories they had chosen, the pearl buttons on his shirt and the soft green of his cummerbund and matching breast-pocket handkerchief, the immaculately shined shoes, mentally adding the new watch he would wear to complete the image. Yes, he was very satisfied with the picture he presented, and he just hoped Gibbs would appreciate it too. That thought sent him stealing out of the room and in search of his lover, needing to see him in his suit, just needing to see him. When he slipped into the other fitting room, he watched from the dark corner at the door as his lover stood in front of the mirrors, pulling at his shirt cuffs, straightening his bow tie. Gibbs had on a similar suit to Tony’s, complimented by accessories in a soft mixture of silver and blue matching his hair and eyes, and Tony held his breath at the beautiful vision of his lover. Stepping further into the room so his lover could see him, Tony let out a soft breath.  
   
“Hey, handsome.”  
   
“Hey, yourself. You look beautiful.”  
   
“I told you before, men aren’t beautiful, Gibbs.”  
   
“And I told you before, you are.”  
   
Standing next to each other, admiring the view in the full length mirrors, picturing themselves standing on the dais in two weeks’ time to exchange their vows, they held each other’s eyes through the mirror as they committed the vision to memory. Then Tony smiled.  
   
“Well, we are a couple of handsome devils, I’ll give us that.”  
   
The soft smile Gibbs gave Tony and the gentle brush of his hand over Tony’s cheek told the younger man exactly how much Gibbs loved him, and it damn near made his heart burst with happiness.  
   
   
The last two weeks before the wedding passed in a blur. The team caught two cases and for a while everyone worried that they wouldn’t be able to close them in time for Gibbs and Tony to set off on their honeymoon with their minds at rest about the cases, but it turned out alright in the end. Cases settled and paperwork filed, Gibbs released them all early that Friday afternoon to prepare for the following day, the day they would finally exchange their vows in front of their friends. Everything packed and ready to go for the honeymoon, Gibbs and Tony went to bed early and snuggled closely together. Exchanging soft kisses to settle each other, Gibbs looked his lover in the eyes and just had to ask.  
   
“You nervous?”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Not at all?”  
   
“Not even a little. We’re already married, Jethro. Tomorrow is just a confirmation. I miss my ring though.”  
   
“You’ll get it back tomorrow.”  
   
They had left their rings with McGee, to be exchanged again in front of their friends, and Tony had missed the feeling of the platinum band around his finger as a physical reminder of their bond ever since he had taken it off and handed it over. Gibbs brought Tony’s hand to his lips and kissed the now empty space on his ring finger, then gently sucked the finger into his mouth, smiling around the digit when as always he heard his lover’s breath hitch as soon as Gibbs made a move like that. Licking and sucking on Tony’s finger while staring deeply into his eyes, Gibbs let his tongue play over the ridges of Tony’s fingertip, then down over the knuckles until it was completely in his mouth again, releasing it only when Tony closed his eyes with a deep groan and moved in to kiss Gibbs’ lips. Sharing deep, slow kisses, Tony pressed his hips forward to let Gibbs feel the effect he had on Tony, finding an answering arousal pressing back. Caressing his hands over Gibbs’ chest and sides, Gibbs answering every move with one of his own, they shifted against each other almost languidly, both relishing the slow build of their excitement as they slid against each other. The release came suddenly and explosively, staring into each other’s eyes, and they panted in delight when they saw and felt that unbreakable bond between them again, as clearly as if it was a corporeal link, visible and tangible. They didn’t sleep much that night, not because of nerves or worry, but because they needed to feel each other close. They weren’t tired, it was as if the bond energized them, feeding off each other and enhancing their vitality, vibrating through their beings and pulling their souls even closer together than ever before.  
   
   
The following morning they made their preparations unhurriedly, helping each other dress in between kisses and gentle touches, and they were ready well in time for the limousine to arrive to take them to the venue. The wedding itself was a quiet affair, their friends in attendance as they exchanged traditional vows, Tony exhaling a breath of relief when Gibbs finally slipped his wedding ring back onto Tony’s finger and he could feel it there again, and when the minister at last said it was time for the kiss, Gibbs softly cupped Tony’s cheeks in his hands, Tony’s hands resting gently on Gibbs’ hips, and then their lips met. They were lost in the moment, and didn’t register the collective intake of breath that rushed through the crowd when at the exact moment their lips met, the sunlight hit them through the stain glass window, showering them in the different colors, giving their friends the impression that there was something tying them together almost magically, supernaturally. Everyone watched in silence while they let the kiss continue, nibbling and tasting and caressing, until at last they rested their foreheads together and stared into each other’s eyes. Gibbs saw the universe swirling in Tony’s green orbs, and Tony saw whole galaxies of the unending love this man had for him in Gibbs’ blue ones. Somewhere far away in the distance they heard a resounding clunk, and at that sound they felt the feather light shackles of their magical bond securing their souls to each other, forging them together for all eternity.  
   
   
The reception was exuberant and joyous, at first everyone talking about what they had seen at the moment of the kiss, but then getting lost in the enjoyment of the party, hooting and hollering when Tony led Gibbs onto the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple, distracting everyone from the fact that they hadn’t practiced that part and both tried to lead by kissing Gibbs again, which was really what everybody wanted to see anyway. As they circulated through the room afterwards, chatting with their friends and accepting congratulations, they noticed with smiles that certain pairings had become obvious. Chegwidden and Vance were involved in a lengthy debate while seated at the bar, their talk interrupted by loud laughter from both of them every now and then, and it had been no secret that the two men had had three appointments for lunch together over the past two weeks. Steve had cornered Fornell and was putting the moves on the older man, Fornell looking annoyed and irritated, but smiling a little every time Steve looked away from him for a second. Abby and McGee had been inseparable ever since the bachelor party, and Gibbs and Tony both had hopes that they would rekindle their relationship.  
   
Later that evening, standing in a relatively quiet corner together, Gibbs’ arms wrapped around Tony’s waist from behind and his chin resting on Tony’s shoulder, the two men surveyed the party.  
   
“They all seem to be having a good time.”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Can we get out of here?”  
   
Tony turned around in Gibbs’ arms and kissed his husband softly.  
   
“I thought you’d never ask, Jethro.”  
   
They made their way towards the exit, but just when they thought they would reach it unnoticed, McGee’s voice stopped them. Turning to their friend, they saw him standing right behind them, Abby’s hand on his arm, both their eyes twinkling at them in amusement.  
   
“Sneaking out, are you?”  
   
“You just wanna go be bad, bad boys, don’t you?”  
   
Abby added her comment with a lascivious smirk. McGee grinned, but held out his hand to Tony, dangling a set of car keys from his fingers.  
   
“Your car is right outside, packed up, gassed up and ready to go.”  
   
A relieved and grateful look on both their faces, Tony took the keys and patted McGee on his shoulder.  
   
“Thank you, Tim. You really are a great friend.”  
   
The newlyweds accepted a hug from Abby and smiled at her enthusiastic farewell wish.  
   
“Have fun, you guys! See you in three weeks! Bring me back pictures!”  
   
Not at all feeling guilty about leaving their guests to enjoy the rest of the party and sneaking out of their own wedding reception without saying goodbye, they rushed outside and quickly found the car. A fast drive later, both impatient, they arrived at their honeymoon destination. The cabin felt almost otherworldly, welcoming and warm in the fading evening sunlight, a benevolent glow emanating from it and surrounding them as soon as they stepped out of the car. Reaching for each other’s hands automatically and entangling their fingers, they stood breathing deeply, instantly tranquil and serene, then turned to each other for a chaste but deeply loving kiss. Stepping inside to find their friends had secretly visited the cabin to prepare it for their honeymoon - clean sheets on the bed, candles placed on every available surface ready to be lit, flowers lovingly arranged around the cabin - they smiled at the love and care their friends showed for them. After having lit a few of the candles, Tony turned back to Gibbs and they stood staring at each other for long minutes.  
   
Gently reaching out his hands, Tony began by slowly undoing Gibbs’ bow tie, his movements mimicked by Gibbs. With each item of clothing they removed from each other’s bodies, they exchanged a kiss, eyes locked on each other the whole time, their touches soft and tender, until at last they stood naked in front of each other. Caressing their fingers lightly over each other’s skin, Tony leaned down to place a kiss over Gibbs’ heart, seeing his lover’s eyes shine with moisture at the gesture, before Gibbs at last pulled Tony against him fully, just feeling his lover close. Moving to the bed, they settled there together, mouth to mouth, heart to heart, hips to hips, their caresses light and cherishing, until Gibbs rolled Tony onto his back and settled between his thighs, entering him slowly and carefully. Locked together at last, they each gasped a deep breath when they felt the bond forged between their souls tighten even further, instantly transported to that magical universe that belonged only to them, where they floated around for eons together until they became the center of the explosion that created new worlds and galaxies, originating from the two of them, from the love they had for each other, from the magic of the cabin that had finally brought these two unstoppable forces together to find a well-deserved calm and peace, for all eternity.  
   
 


End file.
